God Loves Sinner

God Loves Sinners

by David J. Stewart

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." —Romans 5:8

I am saddened by the hatred that some professed “Christians” have for the unsaved. It is tragic. Yes, God hates sin and the wrath of God abides upon Christ-rejecters (John 3:36); but let us never stray from the great Biblical doctrine of God's wondrous love for mankind, which allowed Christ to be nailed to the cross for our sins. John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Notice the words, "God so loved THE WORLD."

Romans 5:8, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." God in His foreknowledge knew how sinful and rotten mankind would be, but He looked beyond our faults and saw our need for redemption. Jesus Christ died, was buried and rose again from the grave to TAKE AWAY our sins. Jesus did this by the shedding of His own physical blood. 1st Peter 1:18,19, "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold... But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." Christ died for all men, because God loves all mankind, even the vilest of sinful men.

I have received dozens of letters from professed “Christians” who are upset with me for my article God Loves People. One woman sent several internet links to me, linking to articles which teach that God doesn't love sinners. Oh, listen my friend, God loves mankind more than we could love Him in return. Luke 19:10 reads, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." 1st John 3:16a, "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down his life for us." Notice the words, “the love of God.” God loves humanity, which is why He sent His Son to pay the debt for our sins. How could anyone say that God hates sinners? God DOES hate sin, and God IS angry with the wicked every day; but God equally loves each and every person and desires for them to repent and get saved. 2nd peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." God is “not willing that any should perish.”

When Moses went up to the top of Mount Sinai to beg God to forgive the sins of the Jews, God did. Exodus 32:14, "And the LORD repented of the evil which He thought to do unto His people." Unfortunately, the people were dancing naked around a calf committing idolatry before Moses even got back down to the camp. Then Moses got mad. Please notice that NO ONE died that day accept those who chose to. Exodus 32:26 reads, "Who is on the LORD's side? let him come unto me." The Jews who refused to come over to the Lord's side were killed that day (thousands of them). God didn't just kill them! It was their own sinful pride that got them killed. Pride is destructive! America's day of reckoning is coming, when her proud neck will be broken.

Yes, God does get angry about sin, very angry! In fact, Psalm 7:11 declares that "God is angry with the wicked every day." John 3:36 warns that the "wrath of God abideth" upon Christ-rejecters.

However, the entire Bible is based upon the FACT that God loves mankind, so much so that God the Father sent His only begotten Son into the world to suffer and die for our sins. Romans 5:8,9 reads, "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." God proved His love toward mankind by sending His Son into this hostile, sin-cursed world and giving His life for our sins.


God First Loved Us

1st John 4:19 declares, "We love him, because He first loved us." The Bible teaches that God loved us before we loved Him. When we didn't love God, the Bible says that He still loved us. The truth is that God loved mankind before He ever spoke the universe into existence. Revelation 13:8 reads, "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship Him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Jesus is the “Lamb of God,” Who in God's time (eternity) was slain before the foundation of the world (our time). Remember, we live in time but God lives in eternity where there is NO TIME (Revelation 10:6). In God's mind, Jesus had already died upon the cross before man ever became a living soul.

Romans 5:8 tells us, "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Jesus Christ laid down His life for us, knowing every sin which we would ever commit. The Bible declares that this is PROOF of God's love toward mankind. God commended (or revealed) His genuine love toward us by making a way of escape from the curse of the Law—a plan of redemption—a Savior to TAKE AWAY our sins. Jesus paid a debt that He did not owe, because we owed a debt that we could not pay.

Again, 1st John 4:19, "We love him, because He first loved us." Notice the words, "...because He first loved us." When people don't love God, they live in sin. Before we loved Him, we were still wicked sinners; yet the Bible says that God loved us and paid for our sins. The problem with the world isn't that God has stopped loving man; but that man has never started loving God. God loves sinners in spite of their lack of love for Him. God's love is unconditional.


God Has No Pleasure in the Death of the Wicked

The Bible teaches that God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Ezekiel 33:11, "Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel." If we are to be Christlike, then we must not rejoice in the death of the unsaved. It is a sad thing when someone dies and goes into Hell.

No Christian who has God's love in their heart should be glad to see anyone go to Hell. Many people rejoice that sinners are burning in Hell, but God is not pleased about it. God does NOT want any soul to perish into Hell. 2nd Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."


Corrupt Bibles Remove the "Love of God"

Few believers have the great heart of God nowadays. They have God's Holy Spirit living in their soul, but they've never yielded their mind and will to God. Most believers today are immature. They fail to abide in Christ and to allow God's Word to abide in them. One of the big problems is that many believers are using a corrupted version of the Bible. I am so tired of hearing people say bad things about the King James Bible. Every modern Bible version is corrupt except the King James!

I guarantee you that most of the professed Christians who deny the pretribulation Rapture are using a New International Version [NIV] of the Bible. The NIV removes or changes 65,000 words as compared to the King James Bible. The only reliable English Bible today is the King James Bible. As churchgoers are being led astray from the true Word of God, they are descending into heresy, compromise and even apostasy. The King James Bible is powerful. Listen to the words of Hebrews 4:12 in the King James Bible, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." All of the modern Bible versions have been watered down, diluted, reading like a newspaper. Today's Bible versions are powerless, wimpy, and impotent. The NIV horrifyingly reduces "God was manifest in the flesh" in 1st Timothy 3:16 to "he was revealed in a body." Is this easier to understand? Better comprehension? More modernized English?

It is NOT surprising that professed Christians who use such flawed Bible versions as the NIV would also believe that God hates sinners. Here's a classic example: 1st John 3:16 in the King James Bible reads,

"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

Now here's the perverted NIV...

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."

Notice that the NIV completely removes "the love of God" from 1st John 3:16. The New King James Bible also butchers the same Scripture. It is wicked!!! Do you see why so many people are being deceived by Satan nowadays? It is obvious to faithful Christians who are awake to righteousness.

If I had my way, I would burn every New International Version of the Bible in existence! I would burn every copy of Today's International Version as well. I would burn every copy of the corrupted New King James Version. I would burn every perverted Bible out there, including the Living Bible and Good News for Modern Man. I would burn the Revised Standard Version.

God only wrote one Book! Matthew 4:4 commands us to live by "every word" of the Bible. To do that we must have an "every word" Bible. We have it in the preserved 1611 King James Bible, which has been tested and proven to be trustworthy over the centuries. If the King James Bible was good enough for Dwight L. Moody, Billy Sunday and Harry Ironside, bless God, it's good enough for you and me!


Self-Righteousness

I realize that a believer is under grace and no longer under the curse of the Law, but to say that God hates the wicked is foolish and unbiblical. The great heart of God is much bigger than that. God loves mankind with an unconditional love that supercedes our words or actions. How shallow and immature for anyone to claim that God hates sinners.

There's a group of self-righteous people in our churches today, going around lying, telling lost sinners that they cannot be saved unless they give up their sinful lifestyle and stop sinning. Nothing could be further from the truth of God's Word. Who can stop sinning? Who can cease from committing sin? All that God requires is that a man acknowledge his guilt of sin and deserved penalty in hellfire, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be forgiven. The change that genuine repentance brings is God's department. Our part is simply to BELIEVE.


God Loves Sinners!

God loves sinners! Now God certainly does NOT love sin, but He loves the individual. How could God not love His own creation? How could God not love the object of His plan of redemptive?

As I mentioned earlier, I've had many people write me letters, upset because I say that "God loves people." They send me verses in the Bible where God opened the ground to devour people, or killed thousands of people in His anger. Although God certainly did execute judgment in many places in the Old Testament, it does not in any way diminish the fact that God loved those people who were destroyed. Christ died for those people.

There are some false prophets who teach that Jesus only died for the elect and not the unsaved. This is certainly not Biblical. Jesus died for THE WHOLE WORLD, "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1st John 2:2). Notice the words, "the whole world." Jesus died for the sins of "the whole world." Amen.

In Luke 9:54-56, we find James and John eager to destroy the wicked with the wrath of God, but Jesus rebuked them instead, "And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But He turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village." And likewise I say to you professed Christians who insist that God hates sinners... "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of." In case you don't know, it is the spirit of Satan. Jesus came into this world to save sinners; not to hate them and destroy men's lives.

There are only two Scriptures in the New Testament where Jesus said "I hate" (Revelation 2:6 and 2:15). Revelation 2:6 states, "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate." And again in Revelation 2:15, "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate." Jesus said that He hated the "deeds" of the Nicolaitans, and their "doctrine." Please notice that Jesus DIDN'T say He hated the Nicolaitans (a false cult). Jesus loves all sinners, not because they are sinners, but because they are people with souls whom He loves. John 3:16 tells us, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The “world” includes EVERYBODY, even a dirty, rotten, vile sinner like me.

Yes, I do take an uncompromising stand on my website against all types of wickedness, heresies, and sins; but I will never stop proclaiming the Biblical truth that God loves ALL people (no matter what they have done). That's not to say that God approves of their wickedness, it just means that God unconditionally loves people.

Even after being nailed to a cross, Jesus expressed forgiveness to the Roman soldiers who had stripped him naked, beat Him beyond recognition, placed a sharp crown of thorns upon His head, mocked Him, spit on Him and then nailed Him to a cross to bleed and die (Luke 23:34). Don't you tell me that God doesn't love sinners! There is no depth of sin known to man which can prevent the arm of God from saving the sinner who seeks forgiveness, "Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God..."

If Jesus would save a murderer like Saul (later to become the Apostle Paul), then he will save anybody! If Jesus would save a drunkard like Noah, then He will save anybody. If Jesus would save an adulterer like David, then He will save anybody. God will receive any repent sinner that comes to Jesus Christ for salvation (John 6:37). If you go to Hellfire (and you will if you don't get saved), it will be your own stubborn fault (Romans 1:20; Revelation 20:15).

What a tragedy that 95% of all the people in the world will one day burn in the Lake of Fire, forfeiting the free gift of eternal life which is already paid in full by Jesus' precious blood (1st Peter 1:18,19). Would you like to know for sure that if you died right now, that you would go to Heaven? You certainly can KNOW.

God's Simple Plan of Salvation

The Imputed Righteousness of Jesus Christ




God’s Simple Plan of Salvation

by Pastor Ford Porter

My Friend: I am asking you the most important question of life. Your joy or your sorrow for all eternity depends upon your answer. The question is: Are you saved? It is not a question of how good you are, nor if you are a church member, but are you saved? Are you sure you will go to Heaven when you die?

God says in order to go to Heaven, you must be born again. In John 3:7, Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Ye must be born again.”

In the Bible God gives us the plan of how to be born again which means to be saved. His plan is simple! You can be saved today. How?

First, my friend, you must realize you are a sinner. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Because you are a sinner, you are condemned to death. “For the wages [payment] of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). This includes eternal separation from God in Hell.

“ . . . it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

But God loved you so much He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, to bear your sin and die in your place. “ . . . He hath made Him [Jesus, Who knew no sin] to be sin for us . . . that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Jesus had to shed His blood and die. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood” (Lev. 17:11). “ . . . without shedding of blood is no remission [pardon]” (Hebrews 9:22).

“ . . . God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Although we cannot understand how, God said my sins and your sins were laid upon Jesus and He died in our place. He became our substitute. It is true. God cannot lie.

My friend, “God . . . commandeth all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). This repentance is a change of mind that agrees with God that one is a sinner, and also agrees with what Jesus did for us on the Cross.

In Acts 16:30-31, the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas: “ . . . ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved . . . .’ ”

Simply believe on Him as the one who bore your sin, died in your place, was buried, and whom God resurrected. His resurrection powerfully assures that the believer can claim everlasting life when Jesus is received as Savior.

“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12).

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13).

Whosoever includes you. Shall be saved means not maybe, nor can, but shall be saved.

Surely, you realize you are a sinner. Right now, wherever you are, repenting, lift your heart to God in prayer.

In Luke 18:13, the sinner prayed: “God be merciful to me a sinner.” Just pray: “Oh God, I know I am a sinner. I believe Jesus was my substitute when He died on the Cross. I believe His shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection were for me. I now receive Him as my Savior. I thank You for the forgiveness of my sins, the gift of salvation and everlasting life, because of Your merciful grace. Amen.”

Just take God at His word and claim His salvation by faith. Believe, and you will be saved. No church, no lodge, no good works can save you. Remember, God does the saving. All of it!

God’s simple plan of salvation is: You are a sinner. Therefore, unless you believe on Jesus Who died in your place, you will spend eternity in Hell. If you believe on Him as your crucified, buried, and risen Savior, you receive forgiveness for all of your sins and His gift of eternal salvation by faith.

You say, “Surely, it cannot be that simple.” Yes, that simple! It is scriptural. It is God’s plan. My friend, believe on Jesus and receive Him as Savior today.

If His plan is not perfectly clear, read this tract over and over, without laying it down, until you understand it. Your soul is worth more than all the world.

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).

Be sure you are saved. If you lose your soul, you miss Heaven and lose all. Please! Let God save you this very moment.

God’s power will save you, keep you saved, and enable you to live a victorious Christian life. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Do not trust your feelings. They change. Stand on God’s promises. They never change. After you are saved, there are three things to practice daily for spiritual growth:


* Pray -- you talk to God.
* Read your Bible -- God talks to you.
* Witness -- you talk for God.

AFTER you are saved, you should be baptized in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ as a public testimony of your salvation, and then unite with a Bible-believing church without delay. “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord . . . .” (2 Timothy 1:8).

Please note that you DON'T have to be baptized to go to Heaven. It is a step of obedience for the believer.

“Whosoever therefore shall confess [testify of] Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32).

What is Baptism?

What is Repentance?

You Need HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!




The Imputed Righteousness of Jesus Christ

By David J. Stewart

“Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God IMPUTETH righteousness without works” (Romans 4:6).

What in the world does that big word mean . . . IMPUTETH? The word “impute” means “to pass to one’s account, to count over” It means that Jesus places His righteousness upon our record when we trust upon Him for salvation. Romans chapter four speaks concerning Abraham, “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was COUNTED UNTO HIM for righteousness” (Romans 4:3). What a beautiful truth! Abraham was not saved by good works; but rather, he believed God and was saved by Christ’s righteousness. Christ’s perfection was imputed (placed) on Abraham’s record in Heaven. God the Father viewed Abraham thereafter as having the righteousness of Christ. What a Savior!

Abraham believed God concerning the coming Messiah which was to save His people from their sins . . . “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). Why was Abraham able to simply believe God in place of merit or good works? It's simply because Jesus paid the price for mankind's sins. You see, Abraham could NOT please God in his own self-righteousness, nor can we (Ephesians 2:8,9; Romans 10:3,4; Titus 3:5). No matter how much good we may do here on earth, our sins are still recorded in Heaven. Our sins must be dealt with. This is why Jesus came to earth to pay the price for our sins with His own precious blood . . . “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” All mankind is corrupt and destitute of God. Even in our sincerest efforts, humanity is tarnished with the curse of sin and rebellion. We need HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, i.e., the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. We are saved by Jesus' righteousness through faith.

“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Romans 4:5).

We read in Romans 4:8, “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not IMPUTE sin.” Not only was Christ’s righteousness imputed (counted) to Abraham’s record, but Abraham’s sinful record was imputed to Christ. Literally, Jesus became as sin for us and died a sinner's death . . . “For HE HATH MADE HIM TO BE SIN FOR US, WHO KNEW NO SIN; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2nd Corinthians 5:21). Amen!

We read concerning Abraham . . .

“And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was IMPUTED to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be IMPUTED, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead” (Romans 4:22-24).

This is a beautiful passage of Scripture, teaching that God is willing to IMPUTE Christ's righteousness to us as well, just as He did to Abraham, if we'll simply believe on the Lord... “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.”

These Scriptures were written for us, that we might also have Christ’s righteousness imputed to our record, and our sins imputed to Christ’s record. He who knew no sin, became as sin, that we who knew no righteousness could be made the righteousness of God in Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:21). What a wonderful truth! To think that Jesus would actually bear our sins upon Himself and sacrifice His precious blood for our sins—we are not worthy. Thankfully, God looked beyond our faults through His love and saw our need . . . “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

I cannot express in Words how much I thank the Lord for what He has done for a sinful worm like me. Do you realize all that you will miss if you reject Christ as your Savior? Eternal life is a free gift (Romans 5:15; 6:23), which anyone may have simply by acknowledging their guilt of sin and believing on the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness . . . “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:43). It is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ that we are saved, so that God the Father may view us as having the righteousness of Christ which is imputed unto us at salvation . . .

“Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God IMPUTETH righteousness without works” (Romans 4:6).

“And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was IMPUTED unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God” (James 2:23). Would you like to be the friend of God? It all begins when you say yes to Jesus and let Him become your Savior. Jesus earnestly wants to impute your sin to His record and impute His righteousness to your record. All you must do to be saved is admit your guilty condition before God for violating His holy Law (Romans 3:19), and then trust upon the Son of God to wash away your sins with His shed blood. Admit you’re a sinner deserving of Hell. Turn to Christ now in faith and trust Him to forgive your sins and cleanse you.

What Is Baptism?

Is baptism required for salvation?


Isn't the water in the photo to the left beautiful? As lovely as it is, it's just water my friend...it cannot save you.

In the Old Testament period, baptism was a ritual of conversion to Judaism. Pagans would become proselytes through this ritual by self-baptizing themselves to become part of the Jewish people. So it was an Identification with the people of God.

"In the name of Jesus" distinguishes the Christian baptism from all others at that time. This is not referring to the formula said over a person, but indicated a confession in Christ which was made publicly. To be baptized in Jesus' name was the command to the hearers of the Gospel. Does this contradict Matt. 28:19 of being baptized in the Trinitarian formula? No, Jesus is the sole representative of the triune God in bodily form. We are told there is no other name by which one is to be saved. He alone is the fullness of the Godhead (bodily.)

His name was used to represent the Godhead to the hearers of the Gospel, distinguishing it from the other baptisms of their day. Church history and tradition shows the Trinitarian form, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, was the method of baptism (MT.28). There are two major ordinances in the New Testament, baptism and the Lord's supper. In the Old Testament, the major ordinances were circumcision and the Passover. The Passover was changed to the Lord's supper and points back to the death of Christ and His future return. It is a memorial which we take until He comes, identifying with His death and second coming. While the Old Testament circumcision was of the flesh, the New Testament circumcision is of the heart, an internal renewal by the Spirit, a cutting away of the sins of the flesh. (Col. 2:11,13 ; Phil. 3:3). Mistakes are made when one uses an ordinance which is a symbol and makes it an actual occurrence of grace. People misplace faith in the ordinances to get what they symbolize. Take, for example, the Catholic view of the Lord's supper as being able to impart grace; the same as with baptism. In the third century, believers started to baptize their children before any confession of faith. They related this to the rite of circumcision, which was applied to sons at eight days old, so similarly, baptism was applied to children. Yet it is by faith and God's grace one is saved. No work of man or any kind of Biblical ritual can impart grace. Salvation is neither a creed, a doctrine, nor ordinance. It is found only in a person - Jesus Christ and His work on the cross, and that was done for us.

Almost every covenant had a sign or token along with it. For Noah, it was the rainbow; for Abraham, it was circumcision; for Moses, it was the Sabbath; and for the new covenant of grace, it is baptism by water. None of these were the covenant itself but a token of one's entry into a covenant with God. All were visible means for the participants in it. Baptism is to identify with a person, a group of people, or the message. As Christians this has been practiced as an ordinance. It is a symbol and witness of the change of ownership that has taken place for us. We identify with the Lord Jesus, His message, and the body of believers. It is a symbol of my old life being dead (I was crucified and buried with Christ and raised up to newness of life). This new life takes place at the cross by His death and resurrection, not when I'm immersed in water. Those who heard John's and Jesus' message and believed, were obedient to be baptized in water as the visible sign of their repentance. It is a symbol, not the substance.

Some References of Baptism and Faith used in the New Testament Books:

Book of the Bible
Water Baptism Faith Mentioned
Mark 6 19
John 1 95
Acts 9 53
Romans 1 35
1 Corinthians 1 (good), 5(negative) 17
Galatians 1 22
Ephesians 0 10
Philippians 0 6
Colossians 1 5
Hebrews 0 43
1 John 0 6





















This is by no means an exhaustive comparison, yet, this shows the overall usage of both baptism and faith. The Bible teaches that by God's grace; through faith the means, salvation is given. Over 240 times, faith (belief) is the only required condition for salvation. The book of John which teaches who Jesus is and how one can be saved mentions salvation by belief (faith) 95 times. The basic Biblical principle of interpretation (hermeneutics) is that we don't ever interpret the major portion of Scripture by the lesser. A natural example: The branches of a tree never interpret the trunk. The trunk is what upholds the branches. It is the main strength that gives life to those that extend out from it. If we look at the book of Acts which shows the practices of early Christianity we find some very revealing facts...

Instances where baptism is mentioned in the book of Acts: Acts 2:37-41; 8:5-13; 8:37, 38; 9:1-18, 22; 10:43,48; 16:14, 30-34; 18:8; and 19:5 (a total of 9 times, which are always attached to faith)

Instances where baptism is not mentioned: Acts 2:47; 4:4; 5:14; 6:7; 9:35, 42; 11:21, 24; 12:24; l3:12, 43, 48; 14:1, 7,22,27; 16:5; 17:4, 12, 34; 19:17-20; 26:18 28:23, 24 (a total of 22 times there are conversions with faith and no hint of baptism)

This does not mean they disposed of the rite of baptism. What it does indicate is that salvation is found outside the practice of baptism. Nowhere does it say "to be baptized to be saved" by itself. However you will find faith separate from baptism for salvation. The greater context in scripture always teaches salvation occurs before baptism. No one followed Jesus to be saved, nor were they baptized to be saved. If they were pronounced saved by their faith before baptism then baptism is clearly not part of the gospel.

Christ offered himself as salvation to the people. Mary when found with the child said she rejoiced in "God my Saviour" (Luke 1:47). Simeon likewise in Luke 2:29-30 said as he held the baby Jesus, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation." Salvation is never referred to as a "rite" or an "ordinance" -salvation is a Person. This is what makes Christianity different from religion, it is not by works.



What is Biblical Repentance?

by David J. Stewart


Baptism and Repentance
There is a great misunderstanding about "repentance." Such verses as Mark 1:4 confuse many people because they do not take into account the rest of the Bible. Mark 1:4 reads, "John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." By itself, this verse seems like It is teaching baptismal regeneration, but it certainly is NOT.
This verse is referenced in Acts 11:16, "Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost." And a few verses later in Acts 11:21 we read, "And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord." This is Biblical repentance... acknowledging one's guilt of sin and turning to the Lord for forgiveness.
Please note that NO mention of baptism is found in Acts 11 other than the one reference to John the Baptist in verse 16. Clearly, baptism was not required for their salvation in Acts 16, just is it has never been required. John preached the same Gospel of Jesus Christ as we preach today — salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9).


Repentance Unto Life

Again, Biblical repentance is simply TURNING UNTO THE LORD. Acts 11:18 reads, "When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life."

Notice that the Bible does NOT call this a repentance from sins. The "baptism of repentance" in Mark 1:4 is clearly not referring to water baptism; but to the "baptism of repentance." This is the repentance unto life which can only be found in Christ Jesus. The Word of God does NOT teach that we must give up our sins to be saved.

If this were true, then no one could be saved because we are all sinners incapable of ceasing from sin. Even the best of Christians still commit sin! Believers shouldn't commit any sins; but the fact of the matter is that we all do. So how can you tell an unsaved person to give up their sins to be saved?

As I mentioned, there is a woeful misunderstanding about repentance circulating in our churches today. Again, Acts 11:21 states, "And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord." Biblical repentance is TURNING to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. It is a change of mind. Mark 1:15 proclaims, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." Notice here that repentance led to believing the gospel — NO mention is made about making a commitment to God or forsaking sins.

So do believers have a license to sin? I am saying that a believer's Christian walk has absolutely nothing to do with his salvation. Lordship Salvationists have a problem with this because they have added works to simple faith in Christ.


Repentance from Sins

There are only a few references in the Bible where the word "repentance" is used with sin. The Bible usually speaks of "the remission of sins"; but never commands anyone to repent from sins to be saved. Search the Bible and you will find that "repentance" is almost always mentioned with salvation; but it never tells us that forsaking sins is the way to be saved.

In Acts 8:22, Simon (a new believer) had said something wrong and Peter sharply rebuked him... "Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee." Simon ignorantly thought he could buy the power of the Holy Spirit. Witches are used to buying all sorts of demonic paraphernalia in order to practice their works of darkness. No doubt, Simon sincerely thought God's power was for sale.

He was a new convert and needed to be taught the Truth of God's Word. My point here is that Simon was already a believer. So the word "repent" in this Scripture is used in an entirely different context than in other Scriptures which speak of salvation. There is a repentance unto salvation; and then there is another repentance of one's sins AFTER salvation (as we saw with Simon).

The only thing that we need to repent of to be saved is our unbelief. Do we have to realize our sinful condition to be saved? Of course, yes! But there is not one verse in the entire Bible which requires a person to forsake sin to be saved. Nor does the Bible give anyone a license to sin. Every time Jesus forgave someone and healed them, it was AFTERWARDS that He said... go and sin no more. John 5:14, "Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee."

Thus, we don't give up our sins to become a Christian; no, rather, we forsake our sins because we are a Christian. There are no prerequisites or conditions for salvation. God will save any guilty sinner who trusts upon Jesus Christ for salvation.

I do NOT believe it is inappropriate to apply the parable of the prodigal son to the unsaved who need to come back to their Creator, but technically the Parable is about a believer, a "son." The parable about the prodigal son applies to the wayward believer who is in need of repentance from sins. The repentance unto salvation is a ONE-TIME repentance, but the repentance from sins has no limit. Christians are people, and people are sinners.

Just as a man cannot be UNBORN physically, neither can he be unborn spiritually. Once saved, always saved! For anyone to teach otherwise is to add works to faith alone and corrupt "the simplicity that is in Christ" (2nd Corinthians 11:3,4).

Once a person is saved, they begin to grow in grace by feeding on the Truth of God's Word (1st Peter 2:2). As a believer grows in the Truth, he or she realizes that there are changes in their life that need to be made. God's Holy Spirit works in that person's heart. Thus, we begin to see the FRUIT of genuine repentance. A changed life is the FRUIT of genuine repentance; and NOT a prerequisite to salvation or a part of saving-faith. Proponents of Lordship Salvation place the cart before the horse and have it all backwards. The change comes as a result of true repentance; not as a means to it.

In Mark 1:4, John the Baptist speaks of "...repentance for the remission of sins"; NOT "repentance of sins." Acts 20:21 reads... "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." Notice that Biblical repentance is TOWARD God. In Acts 11:21 we read, "And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord."

This is Biblical repentance... turning to the Lord. To turn towards Jesus Christ in faith for salvation is to turn one's back against sin, even though the person may not be willing to forsake sin at the time of salvation. It is ludicrous for anyone to teach that a lost sinner must give up their sins to be saved. As we saw with Lot and Samson in the Old Testament, not all believers live for God.

Consider the following quote by the mighty man of God, Dr. Harry Ironside (1876-1951)...

"Repentance is the recognition of my sinnership — the owning before God that I am as vile as He has declared me to be in His holy Word."

SOURCE: Except Ye Repent, by Dr. Harry Ironside, chapter 3

This is vastly different than actually ceasing from one's sin to be saved, which is a false gospel. Pastor Ironside is correct — repentance is simply realizing that one is a guilty, dirty, rotten, hopeless sinner in God's eyes. This is why we need a Savior. Thankfully, Jesus paid the price with His own literal precious blood (1st Peter 1:18,19; Hebrews 9:12).


Repentance and Faith

Salvation is not a process as some teach. You don't repent and then have faith in the Lord. There are not two steps to salvation; but rather, two parts to just one step. Repentance and faith are inseparable. In the Gospel of John, the word “believe” is mentioned 85-times; but the word “repent” is never mentioned even once. This clearly evidences that the sinner who believes on the Lord for salvation has also repented.

You can't turn to the Savior for forgiveness of sins without turning your back against sin (not the literal forsaking of the act of sin, but a realization of one's having violated God's holy Law and deserves punishment in Hellfire).

As mentioned, the Bible never mentions turning from sin to be saved. All Biblical references mention turning to the Lord to be forgiven from our sins.


The Change Comes AFTER a Person is Saved, NOT before

The internet is plagued with heretics who are teaching that a person must forsake their sinful life to be saved. 2nd Corinthians 5:17 reads, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." Please notice that a man does NOT become a "new creature" until AFTER he is in Christ (saved). The change comes after a person is saved; NOT before, but AFTER.

If a person claims to be a Christian but is living a wicked life, then I would sincerely doubt that person's salvation as well. However, I am not going to start teaching damnable heresy by saying that sinners must forsake their sins to be saved. Salvation comes through childlike faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, nothing may be added. Once a man becomes a new creature in Christ, then he begins to change.

The Raging Battle Over "Repentance"

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." -John 3:16

Lordship Salvation

The Curse of Lordship Salvation

The Hypocrisy of Lordship Salvation

Scriptural Proof that Lordship Salvation is a Lie

Lordship Salvation Ignores Babes in Christ and the Backslidden


You Need HIS Righteousness!

By David J. Stewart

Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Biblical repentance is the recognition of my sinnership — the owning before God that I am as vile as He has declared me to be in His holy Word. God will forgive anybody who looks to Jesus to be saved. The Word of God plainly teaches that eternal life is a FREE GIFT (Romans 5:15), paid for by Jesus' precious blood (1st Peter 1:18,19). Salvation is receiving, not giving. It is not what we do that saves us; but rather, what Christ has done for us in His work of redemption.

Salvation is of the Lord, not man. A person does not have to stop living in sin to be saved, for that would make salvation a reward instead of a free gift. A changed life is the result of genuine repentance, and not a part of saving-faith (2nd Corinthians 5:17). We don't give up our sins to get saved; we give up our sins because WE ARE SAVED. God makes the change. Salvation is by grace through faith alone in Christ (Ephesians 2:8,9).

Salvation happens when a person acknowledges their guilt of sin, coming to God on the basis of being a hell-deserving sinner; believing on Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, for forgiveness of sins. Acts 10:43, “To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.”

Consequently, I have written my own little Gospel tract. I made it with Microsoft Publisher. You are welcome to download the files and print your own. There are 2 files: the front of the tract, and then the back. You will need Microsoft Publisher 2000 or higher to print these tracts. One sheet of standard sized paper prints 4 Gospel tracts. Here are images of the tract...

Above Photo shows front and back of tract. Photo below shows inside of tract. Photos are enlarged.

Here are the same files for Microsoft Publisher 2003: Front of tract and Back of tract. You can open Microsoft Publisher 2000 files with the 2003 version; but you can't open the 2003 version with Microsoft Publisher 2000. Here are the earlier 2000 versions again: Front of tract and Back of tract.

Here are the text and photos from the tract if you'd like to copy/paste it elsewhere:

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and HIS righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." —Matthew 6:33

Hello friend. Please allow me to have one moment of your time to share with you the most important truth you'll ever read.

Many religions today falsely teach that a person is required to be baptized in order to go to Heaven.

Other religions falsely teach that a person is required to forsake their sins in order to go to Heaven.

Some religions falsely require a person to observe the Sabbath, tithe, partake of Sacraments, or join a certain religious denomination to go to Heaven. These are all lies of the Devil, who is the father of all liars (John 8:44).

Eternal life is a free gift (Romans 6:23).

The truth of God's Word is that we need Jesus' righteousness in order to be saved and go to Heaven one day.

This is because we have no righteousness of our own to offer God (Romans 3:10; James 2:10).

All we can offer God is our own self-righteousness, which is not acceptable to God (Isaiah 64:6).

We need Jesus' righteousness, which is by faith in Him alone for salvation...

"For he [God the Father] hath made him [Jesus the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

Jesus paid for our sins with His blood.

We read in Romans 10:3-4, "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."

Salvation is found ONLY in Jesus Christ! Would you like to be saved?

1. Admit that you are a GUILTY sinner, under the condemnation of God's Law, deserving of Hellfire.
2. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive your sins and save you.

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." —John 1:12

END

Soulwinning is not an option in the Christian life, it is a divine command from the Lord (Proverb 11:30; Daniel 12:3; Matthew 28:19,20; Luke 14:23). If you are a born-again Christian, then I plead with you in Jesus' name to become aggressive about soulwinning. Here is a helpful website to visit with lots of soulwinning information:

http://www.soulwinning.info

The Imputed Righteousness of Jesus Christ

Dr. John R. Rice Refutes Lordship Salvation

"In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."
—2nd Thessalonians 1:8

Ye Must Be Born Again!